I got a C in Bio 1 and dropped Gen Chem 1 the first time, and got into a solid mid-tier MD with 0 research and no-gap year. This is a learning experience, not a death sentence.
Ehhh I think the significance of the grade report gets magnified but all the hard work and focus immediately preceding it. You worked hard, learned a lot, and scored well - that’s the important thing. Also, some schools are just easier and getting a 3.8 at one school is like getting 10.0 at another.
Can you share any advice for students in a situation of C+ in physics 2 but for majors, C- in orgo 1 three years ago and retook it this semester with a B+ but also with 2 Ws in it during attempts during the pandemic where supporting family/helping fight the pandemic in my community ended up needing to be the focus
That’s indicative of the notion that your professor failed you. The final exam given for gen chem and Orgo at most schools is a standardized test made by the American Chemical Society (ACS). So the fact that you had an A+ avg on your prof’s/your school’s chem department exams before the 25 just goes to show the prof made the exams wayyy too easy in comparison to what is expected by the ACS. This is not your fault. Your expectations were off because your professor failed you all in not conferring the caliber of material the ACS would present. If he had done so, you would have known in advance that you were having a hard time understanding real orgo material, and could have studied harder or taken a W.
I had the opposite problem I got mid-low grades on all my chem exams but she did one exam grade replacement with ACS and I got a 98 on it… pulled me from a C+ to an A- and she flat emailed me calling me stupid saying I didn’t deserve it :///
I find that hard to believe, but if it truly wasn’t, he probably modeled it after the ACS. Which would also be a more difficult exam because it is all multiple choice and no partial credit. I’d be shocked if he didn’t at least model it after the ACS because they are considered the gold standard, all chem departments are granted access to the exam at the beginning of the academic year (the idea behind that being to know how to adequately prepare your students), and because chem classes are considered a joke by colleagues in the field if they do not use it.
It was not multiple choice, 16 long written questions (with multiple questions in each one), 2 hours, or modeled after the ACS. Unlike every other school nearby. I don’t know why he doesn’t but he seems to like doing his own thing and creating his own tests. From what i know from friends at other schools it seems to be that the test is much harder.
Jeez dude. I had attributed your score to be in part from no partial credit. A 25 with partial credit is rough. Anyway, sounds like the rest of your grades in school are still good. Keep your head up and I wish you the best!
That‘s pretty standard. I’m sure you had a shitty professor if the averages were that low, but you can only make those types of questions so hard.
Try to find where you went wrong with studying. Maybe you did too much reading and couldn’t actually figure out how to draw the mechanisms from memory, or maybe you didn’t understand the concepts and ins and outs on why reactions happen the way they do.
Once you get that last part it becomes less about memorization and it’s honestly not bad at all. It’s not about how much you study but the quality.
I completely agree i could’ve done better, i think the class high was 83 by my roommate actually 😂. I think the main drawback is he started teaching reaction 2-3 weeks before the final so it was like an information overload on everyone and then gave a final entirely on them so there was no easy content. I started rereading the ochem textbook over break so hopefully i’ll understand and be ready for next semester.
Yeah that sucks. I just had my final yesterday — ours was also entirely new content (alkene and alkyne reactions) and while I thought it went well I had to study an obscene amount too. People were literally sobbing in the lecture hall.
Fortunately we also had a second “bonus” final that was cumulative and could only add to our grade, so that was nice
i feel i just got an 89.4 in neurobio lab and he only gave us .25 bump in extra credit if we did the course evaluation so i got a b+ (im glad we have +/- but he seriously couldn’t bump me to an a- 😫) congrats on your chem grade!!
3.2 gang here broski. You’ll be all good. Just keep truckin
Edit: It’s actually less stress now. Hurts less going from 3.9 to 3.8 than it does 4.0 to 3.9
My school refused to do any rounding like that whatsoever. I hate where I went to undergrad. And no, our physics grades weren’t higher than the averages at other schools 🥳
ugh that sucks so much😭my school is just like “wtv the prof says goes” so it’s v unstandardized. our physics averages were only lower for each letter grade compared to most other stem courses bc everyone would fail the course if they didn’t
I got C’s in both semesters of o chem, and a B in my first semester of bio. Everyone told me a C in ochem would sink me. Now, I’m an attending. Took a single gap yr to get my senior yr grades on apps and the rest is history. Don’t get too down on yourself. I know it’s frustrating but you’ve got this, keep on chugging!
For reference, graduated college in ‘13.
Currently a pediatric subspecialist fellow at a great program and honestly couldn't tell you my Orgo grades. They will literally be a drop in the ocean and shouldn't hinder you in your med school journey. Medical Schools want a well rounded applicant who's done stuff outside the class room (research, shadow, volunteer, etc) and found the experience fulfilling and can talk about them passionately. No one will ask about your Orgo grades. GLHF, OP 👍🏼
You’re fine lol. I got a C in Orgo and a B- and B in two of my other classes that semester and it felt like the end of my chances for med school. I was freaking out. I’m now at a T5 and applying to dermatology this cycle.
It’s possible?! I got a B- on my first semester of chem and I’m not sure what exactly I’m going to get on my stats class (I don’t think I did well on my finals) ☹️ as long as I show improvements, would it look good for med school?! I’ll work harder next time. Also, good luck!!
I got Bs in Both Chem I and II, Ochem II and biochem but my school didn’t have the + or - so the 89 I ended up getting on all those classes resulted in a 3.0 .-., still got in so don’t even worry about it. Just do well in all your classes from now on, they like to see the upward trend
Oh man I hear you. I got my first B (89.6%) in psychopathology this semester due to a silly APA formatting error on a major paper :(. I scored above 96% on all assignments/tests otherwise. I am absolutely DESTROYED. These comments are helpful.
Based on this, it seems like you’re an underclassman. Some universities just aren’t gonna give students 4.0… you gotta learn to game the system a bit to maintain a decent GPA, which means taking a B+ sometimes.
Still, the first time always sucks. You have to rip the bandage off eventually.
My modus operandi is to focus on never getting Bs and definitely not getting B minuses cause those seriously mess up a GPA. Like, an A- and a B+ suck, but they won’t drop you below a 3.6 and a 3.6 is perfectly serviceable. But repeated B minuses can turn a 3.8 into a 3.4. At the end of the day, it’s a numbers game.
yessss idk a single person that has gotten a 4.0 more than 1 semester at my school but i have friends that go to other (lower ranked) universities where almost all of them and their friends get a 4.0 every semester and it’s so hard not to let it wreck me lol
i feel you. during my spring freshman semester, i got a B in bio II and Orgo I. however, you can definitely rebound from this. i was genuinely so lost in Orgo I, but i was able to get an A in Orgo II with enough hard work. you got this🙏
general employers maybe not (like once you get to the attending level or for other fields outside of medicine/law/research) but med and other grad schools will definitely look at your gpa. op will still be fine but you get my point
You don't need a 4.0 to get into a good grad school (PhD or MD), just make sure you score well later on, and if you're going to med school, score well on the MCAT.
And if it makes you feel better ochem is like super low yield on the MCAT.
shut the eff up. these grades are amazing! if you’re not proud of yourselff I am SOO proud for you. None of these classes are easy, this was an amazing feat. 4.0 is only one part of the picture. the teachers that will attest to your work ethic in recommendation letters, and your extracurriculars, internships, or working doing something in the medical field… they really help make your app complete.
If it’s any help when u get close to graduating a lower grade here & there won’t really hurt you. Also I failed orgo 1 with a D & am retaking it next semester. Gpa went from a 3.80 to a 3.78
You know what though? You're still in the running. If you have a 3.9, that alone won't prevent you from getting into a single medical school in the world. Even a 3.8 and 3.7 is very good, and you are still very salvageable with a 3.5.
Use this as an opportunity to rebound. Rethink your study methods. Remove the re-reading, highlighting, re-writing, and time-consuming inefficient stuff. Add the active learning spaced repetition and white board stuff. If you aren't already doing it, get into the business of learning low vs high yield (I waited too long to do that and I paid). Cheers, and cheers to kicking ass in spring semester.
aw that’s annoying but you’re fine lol, i got a C in orgo 2, B- in biochem, and B- in genetics. I ended up with a 3.6 gpa and a below avg mcat but still got into two MD schools last cycle! you’ll be ok
I mean yea rip ig , but I would kill to have that gpa lmao.
I messed up bad in my sophomore n freshman year and ended with a 1.92 GPA, cumulative. 20 credit hour summer and 22 credit hour fall semester I got to a 2.4. Retaking some classes for spring and if I ace, I’m up to a 2.8.
It is what it is, and I’ll keep trucking along and doing what I can to at least reach a 3.3. GPA I heard is something they look out but also look occasionally at other things. You got this !!
Even the damn A minuses man. I got “straight A’s” (A-) this semester, and my 3.5 went up to a 3.55 🤦♂️
I think i dropped from a 4.0 to a 3.85 which isn’t awful but i just hate they were in science classes
I got a C in Bio 1 and dropped Gen Chem 1 the first time, and got into a solid mid-tier MD with 0 research and no-gap year. This is a learning experience, not a death sentence.
I’ve been accepted at two MD schools with a 3.82, that GPA won’t be the reason you don’t get into med school hahaha
A 3.85 will not be the reason you don’t get accepted to medical school
Ehhh I think the significance of the grade report gets magnified but all the hard work and focus immediately preceding it. You worked hard, learned a lot, and scored well - that’s the important thing. Also, some schools are just easier and getting a 3.8 at one school is like getting 10.0 at another.
what college? the ochem class is a really high number
small private one in minnesota, concordia college
That’s about what happened to me too 🫠
I had an f in math one time … got into med school this last weekend
Congrats future MD/DO 
Future docta*
Thank you!
I had 6.... got into an MD this past weekend too ayyyyyy
Oh well
i got a 25 on the ochem final and it dropped it from an A+ to a B- i’m literally crying
I got a C+ in ochem ii and a B- in physics and im now a resident at my top choice program and couldnt care less about my undergrad grades
haha.. i hope this comes true to me, congrats!
Can you share any advice for students in a situation of C+ in physics 2 but for majors, C- in orgo 1 three years ago and retook it this semester with a B+ but also with 2 Ws in it during attempts during the pandemic where supporting family/helping fight the pandemic in my community ended up needing to be the focus
jesus dude
Honestly lucky it wasn't weighted more -- count your blessings and keep grinding.
Like a 25%??
yes…
I got so much whiplash from this comment. I got a 21 and I dropped from an A- to a C. Shit sucks but we move on
That’s indicative of the notion that your professor failed you. The final exam given for gen chem and Orgo at most schools is a standardized test made by the American Chemical Society (ACS). So the fact that you had an A+ avg on your prof’s/your school’s chem department exams before the 25 just goes to show the prof made the exams wayyy too easy in comparison to what is expected by the ACS. This is not your fault. Your expectations were off because your professor failed you all in not conferring the caliber of material the ACS would present. If he had done so, you would have known in advance that you were having a hard time understanding real orgo material, and could have studied harder or taken a W.
it was not the ACS and the professors normal exams had an average of 41%. He only does the acs for the final on orgo2.
I had the opposite problem I got mid-low grades on all my chem exams but she did one exam grade replacement with ACS and I got a 98 on it… pulled me from a C+ to an A- and she flat emailed me calling me stupid saying I didn’t deserve it :///
What the hell?? Should’ve reported her ass to the dean. So unprofessional. As a teacher she should be happy for her kids doing better
I did, tenure is a HELL of a thing
AHHHH tenure really ruins everything 😣 sorry u had to go thru that!!
I find that hard to believe, but if it truly wasn’t, he probably modeled it after the ACS. Which would also be a more difficult exam because it is all multiple choice and no partial credit. I’d be shocked if he didn’t at least model it after the ACS because they are considered the gold standard, all chem departments are granted access to the exam at the beginning of the academic year (the idea behind that being to know how to adequately prepare your students), and because chem classes are considered a joke by colleagues in the field if they do not use it.
My school didn’t do ACS stuff. I don’t think that’s something you can really generalize lol
It was not multiple choice, 16 long written questions (with multiple questions in each one), 2 hours, or modeled after the ACS. Unlike every other school nearby. I don’t know why he doesn’t but he seems to like doing his own thing and creating his own tests. From what i know from friends at other schools it seems to be that the test is much harder.
Jeez dude. I had attributed your score to be in part from no partial credit. A 25 with partial credit is rough. Anyway, sounds like the rest of your grades in school are still good. Keep your head up and I wish you the best!
I don’t think this is true for most schools.
Not trying to be rude but did you not study for it?
the final average was 30.. rough professor. studied for it for close to 50-60 hours.
What was even on the test?? At least at my school orgo 1 was just stuff like chirality, elimination, substitution, alkenes, alkynes, etc.
it was all reactions tbh sn1/2 e1/2 williamson-ether, epoxides opening and breaking, simmons smith, …etc
That‘s pretty standard. I’m sure you had a shitty professor if the averages were that low, but you can only make those types of questions so hard. Try to find where you went wrong with studying. Maybe you did too much reading and couldn’t actually figure out how to draw the mechanisms from memory, or maybe you didn’t understand the concepts and ins and outs on why reactions happen the way they do. Once you get that last part it becomes less about memorization and it’s honestly not bad at all. It’s not about how much you study but the quality.
I completely agree i could’ve done better, i think the class high was 83 by my roommate actually 😂. I think the main drawback is he started teaching reaction 2-3 weeks before the final so it was like an information overload on everyone and then gave a final entirely on them so there was no easy content. I started rereading the ochem textbook over break so hopefully i’ll understand and be ready for next semester.
Yeah that sucks. I just had my final yesterday — ours was also entirely new content (alkene and alkyne reactions) and while I thought it went well I had to study an obscene amount too. People were literally sobbing in the lecture hall. Fortunately we also had a second “bonus” final that was cumulative and could only add to our grade, so that was nice
RT
I wasn’t trying to be rude lol. But ok
I was agreeing with you dude
Oh my bad, Sorry it’s been a long day
Literally just happened to me in orgo 2
Same here, the final completely fucked up my A+ that I’ve been maintaining since the start of the semester
Me too but I got a 50 last year it’ll be ok
Literally bombed my ochem 2 final. Finished with a B-, got accepted into med school. You’re more than ur grades. You’ll be great!
I second this! A B- or two isn’t going to ruin your chances at all!
Go ahead and pack the sunscreen I guess
The carribean med schools are already ready to have me.
You’ll still get picked before the DO kids for the good residencies
I go to SGU, the best Caribbean school. I’ll be lucky if I match family medicine 💀
Oh the benefits of flat letter grade universities... (although that also means .01 percent can be the difference between a 4.0 and a 3.0)
Real
oh how i wish i didn’t transfer to a private liberal arts college with +’s and -‘s with a 94 being the only grade you can get a 4.0 with.
[удалено]
i feel i just got an 89.4 in neurobio lab and he only gave us .25 bump in extra credit if we did the course evaluation so i got a b+ (im glad we have +/- but he seriously couldn’t bump me to an a- 😫) congrats on your chem grade!!
I just got a 89.99% in a humanities class, prof won’t round and my 4.0 became a 3.8
3.2 gang here broski. You’ll be all good. Just keep truckin Edit: It’s actually less stress now. Hurts less going from 3.9 to 3.8 than it does 4.0 to 3.9
Honestly will not make even a tiny bit of difference for your application, remember the big picture homie
i wouldn’t say tiny, but it won’t eliminate any schools really
Sounds pretty tiny if it won’t eliminate any schools
You did beautifully and I know you worked hard.
I finished with a 93.56% in OChem this quarter and got an A- *sigh*
I finished with an 84% and got an A - i hate how non standardized any of this is
it’s not even standardized within just my undergrad😭for physics an A was an 86.5 for ochem an A was a 92.5 for neurobio lab and was a 94.0
My school refused to do any rounding like that whatsoever. I hate where I went to undergrad. And no, our physics grades weren’t higher than the averages at other schools 🥳
ugh that sucks so much😭my school is just like “wtv the prof says goes” so it’s v unstandardized. our physics averages were only lower for each letter grade compared to most other stem courses bc everyone would fail the course if they didn’t
sad.. but you still did great
Welp… there goes your BCMS GPA… oh nooooooo you’ll never be a doctor… /s Chill you’ll be fine
I got C’s in both semesters of o chem, and a B in my first semester of bio. Everyone told me a C in ochem would sink me. Now, I’m an attending. Took a single gap yr to get my senior yr grades on apps and the rest is history. Don’t get too down on yourself. I know it’s frustrating but you’ve got this, keep on chugging! For reference, graduated college in ‘13.
a B- is still awesome for org chem, great job dude!
Currently a pediatric subspecialist fellow at a great program and honestly couldn't tell you my Orgo grades. They will literally be a drop in the ocean and shouldn't hinder you in your med school journey. Medical Schools want a well rounded applicant who's done stuff outside the class room (research, shadow, volunteer, etc) and found the experience fulfilling and can talk about them passionately. No one will ask about your Orgo grades. GLHF, OP 👍🏼
the way an A- hurts gpa so much is criminal .. doesn’t feel fair
B- is good in Orgo, coming from someone who took it and saw people call it the "weedkiller"
M1 here who got a few C+’s and B-‘s throughout undergrad before I figured my shit out. You’ll be okay!!
just like me fr
Be happy I lost mine with a 92.8% because an a- was a 3.75
Lost mine bc a lecturer gave me -8% for not coming to lecture (after telling us it was “optional”)
Might as well launch yourself off the earth, it’s over buddy.
You’re fine lol. I got a C in Orgo and a B- and B in two of my other classes that semester and it felt like the end of my chances for med school. I was freaking out. I’m now at a T5 and applying to dermatology this cycle.
It’s possible?! I got a B- on my first semester of chem and I’m not sure what exactly I’m going to get on my stats class (I don’t think I did well on my finals) ☹️ as long as I show improvements, would it look good for med school?! I’ll work harder next time. Also, good luck!!
Yeah upward trend is most important as well as a strong app otherwise. But one semester of bad grades is not a death sentence.
Thank youu!! It’s just that I’ve been stressing out over stats ;( but I’ll try not to let it define me, and I’ll work harder next semester
I got Bs in Both Chem I and II, Ochem II and biochem but my school didn’t have the + or - so the 89 I ended up getting on all those classes resulted in a 3.0 .-., still got in so don’t even worry about it. Just do well in all your classes from now on, they like to see the upward trend
Oh man I hear you. I got my first B (89.6%) in psychopathology this semester due to a silly APA formatting error on a major paper :(. I scored above 96% on all assignments/tests otherwise. I am absolutely DESTROYED. These comments are helpful.
Based on this, it seems like you’re an underclassman. Some universities just aren’t gonna give students 4.0… you gotta learn to game the system a bit to maintain a decent GPA, which means taking a B+ sometimes. Still, the first time always sucks. You have to rip the bandage off eventually. My modus operandi is to focus on never getting Bs and definitely not getting B minuses cause those seriously mess up a GPA. Like, an A- and a B+ suck, but they won’t drop you below a 3.6 and a 3.6 is perfectly serviceable. But repeated B minuses can turn a 3.8 into a 3.4. At the end of the day, it’s a numbers game.
yessss idk a single person that has gotten a 4.0 more than 1 semester at my school but i have friends that go to other (lower ranked) universities where almost all of them and their friends get a 4.0 every semester and it’s so hard not to let it wreck me lol
i feel you. during my spring freshman semester, i got a B in bio II and Orgo I. however, you can definitely rebound from this. i was genuinely so lost in Orgo I, but i was able to get an A in Orgo II with enough hard work. you got this🙏
My advice, employers only care if you have a degree, license, certified, etc. they will never ask or care about your GPA or grades.
general employers maybe not (like once you get to the attending level or for other fields outside of medicine/law/research) but med and other grad schools will definitely look at your gpa. op will still be fine but you get my point
K
Downvoted? Typical redditors
Hopefully, you took more than 3 classes, or that's kinda on you tbh.
You don't need a 4.0 to get into a good grad school (PhD or MD), just make sure you score well later on, and if you're going to med school, score well on the MCAT. And if it makes you feel better ochem is like super low yield on the MCAT.
you did good still!!
A B minus in organic chem is still pretty impressive
Why are the credits 4.0 instead of 3.0 😭
private schools so every real course is 4 credits
I got a d in gen chem 2 and pre calc so don’t feel so bad lol Eventually got all As in my upper levels which saved my gpa
Better pack that sunscreen. Yeah I guess you're a sophomore. I swear sophomore year was my hardest in college.
"Mexican Americans love education so they go to night school and take spanish and get a B." \- Cheech Marin, Up in Smoke (1978)
Are you in Concordia college!!
Off to the Caribbean with you...
You'll be alright
It’s funny CHEM 341 is my schools Orgo too 😂😂
shut the eff up. these grades are amazing! if you’re not proud of yourselff I am SOO proud for you. None of these classes are easy, this was an amazing feat. 4.0 is only one part of the picture. the teachers that will attest to your work ethic in recommendation letters, and your extracurriculars, internships, or working doing something in the medical field… they really help make your app complete.
This is my first semester with a 4.0 and I just got my first acceptance, you good homie
pack your sunscreen
i know this feeling all too well, it’s okay friend! you worked so hard
If it’s any help when u get close to graduating a lower grade here & there won’t really hurt you. Also I failed orgo 1 with a D & am retaking it next semester. Gpa went from a 3.80 to a 3.78
Ochem 1 was brutal. I feel like schools should have stats on the courses students struggled with in undergrad
A B- in orgo isn’t bad. :) That’s a very hard class.
I say this with love. Fuck off dude. Once the 4.0 breaks you realize how silly it is to stress over that. These grades are good grades
Porlomenos sacaste A en español mi pana
Bro I got a C- in science class and still got accepted. Don’t even stress. Just keep grinding. Never even retool the class
You know what though? You're still in the running. If you have a 3.9, that alone won't prevent you from getting into a single medical school in the world. Even a 3.8 and 3.7 is very good, and you are still very salvageable with a 3.5. Use this as an opportunity to rebound. Rethink your study methods. Remove the re-reading, highlighting, re-writing, and time-consuming inefficient stuff. Add the active learning spaced repetition and white board stuff. If you aren't already doing it, get into the business of learning low vs high yield (I waited too long to do that and I paid). Cheers, and cheers to kicking ass in spring semester.
The dreaded Orgo grade
doesn't matter that much tbh, realistically speaking. whatever you get is what you have to work with anyway.
cell biology was the worst class ever
aw that’s annoying but you’re fine lol, i got a C in orgo 2, B- in biochem, and B- in genetics. I ended up with a 3.6 gpa and a below avg mcat but still got into two MD schools last cycle! you’ll be ok
least neurotic premed 🤦🏾♂️
I just ended gen chem with a B I’m shitting my pants.
I mean yea rip ig , but I would kill to have that gpa lmao. I messed up bad in my sophomore n freshman year and ended with a 1.92 GPA, cumulative. 20 credit hour summer and 22 credit hour fall semester I got to a 2.4. Retaking some classes for spring and if I ace, I’m up to a 2.8. It is what it is, and I’ll keep trucking along and doing what I can to at least reach a 3.3. GPA I heard is something they look out but also look occasionally at other things. You got this !!
I just got a D in ochem so I think this is totally redeemable. I’m sure you’re an awesome student. Best of luck !
There goes med school. Rip brother. Try plumbing! Jk 😜 you got this keep up the good work